Abstract
The late Cenozoic (late Miocene-Pliocene) rocks of Catamarca Province, Argentina have produced one of the most diverse records of late Cenozoic carnivorous metatherians in South America, with at least six previously recognized species of sparassodonts and carnivorously specialized didelphids. Here, we report the presence of a seventh carnivorous metatherian in Catamarca Province based on FMNH P15230, a specimen collected by the Field Museum of Natural History's 1926-7 Second Marshall Field Paleontological Expedition. Although fragmentary, this specimen cannot be referred to any taxon previously described from northwestern Argentina. This specimen exhibits anterolateral maxillary foramina, nasolacrimal contact, numerous accessory foramina on the surface of the palate, and very small P1-2 that are similar in size and have no diastema between them. This combination of features suggests it most likely represents a small (∼2 kg) sparassodont but does not preclude referral to the carnivorous didelphid Hyperdidelphys dimartinoi. Specimen FMNH P15230 increases the number of sparassodont lineages known from the late Cenozoic of South America and helps clarify the tempo and mode of the group's decline during this interval.
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